Hey, no problem. You've perhaps stumbled on a time frame issue.

These hamster and gerbil habitats were popular from the very late 60s to the late 70s.

Ben has made an allusion to them.

Ben claims he was born on the Island. Would it be safe to say Ben is 45?

That would put him in the range to have been on the developing end of the Habitrails, and the initial construction of the Dharma Initiative in the late 60s and late 70s.

The film strips look like they could have been made during the early 80s?

So, what is the age spread among MOST of the characters? 20-45?

If the Dharma Initiative was initiated in 1965, then that would encompass the majority of the characters from their dates of birth to the apparent collapse of the Dharma Initiative, approximately 35 years???? (2000?)

Now the others are in charge from 2000 and are recruiting their own members from the outside????